Obama – What’s Wrong with You?

There’s a lot of fascinating and brilliant criticism of the President coming from observers who earnestly wanted Obama to succeed but are now just about certain that he’s not going to.

This piece by Lee Siegel (no relation), charging the Prez with an “American Idol style of governing” is very persuasive and fun to read.

So is Chris Hedges’ column of a few of months ago titled “Nader was Right.”

But what do you do when people whose opinion and intellect you respect make you feel silly and unsophisticated because you’re determined to stay loyal to Obama and believe he’s our best bet to get America back on track?

You’re almost tempted to attribute something sinister to those “thought-leaders” on the intellectual left; that their impulse for critical analysis, for example, is really a need to sabotage their (and my) ideals and values.

I know I don’t get a lot of support for that kind of speculation, but here’s my dilemma:

I’m already emotionally drained from fighting off attacks from the right. I barely have enough stamina to push against both sides at once.

If necessary, I’ll just retreat to that familiar place: Where Democrats go to resign ourselves to – and defend – what we have. Did I hear you say Bill Clinton?

I’m not suggesting that anyone on what might be called “our side” repress their urge to blast Obama. But I just hope that in our need to tell each other what’s wrong with ourselves, we don’t hand the ball back to the Republicans and waste another chance to make the country better.